Follow live updates from Himachal Pradesh.
The BJP is all set to wrest power from the Congress in Himachal Pradesh as it won 8 seats and was leading in 37 others while the ruling party bagged four seats and was leading in 15.
The CPI(M) won the Theog seat while Independents are leading in three seats.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is leading from Arki while his son Vikramaditya Singh won from Shimla(Rural).
Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Himachal Pradesh, was trailing behind Congress's Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur.
Out of eight ministers in the fray, three have lost while three others are trailing. Two ministers are leading.
Senior-most minister Kaul Singh lost the polls from Drang and while his daughter Champa Thakur suffered defeat at the hands of BJP's Anil Sharma from Mandi. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti is trailing from Una while HPCC candidate Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu is maintaining lead from Nadaun. BJP candidate Suresh Bharadwaj retained the prestigious Shimla seat while Anirudh Singh of Congress retained Kusumpti seat. Congress candidate Harshvardhan won from Shillai, wresting the seat from Baldev Singh Tomar of BJP while Govind Thakur of BJP scored the third successive victory from Manali. However, senior BJP leader Maheshwar Singh failed to retain his Kullu seat.
Main rivals BJP and Congress contested all 68 seats at stake. The hill state witnessed a record 75.28% turnout.
The Congress and the BJP had 36 and 26 seats respectively in the outgoing House.
Himachal Pradesh has a tradition of change in government after every elections and going by the trend, this time it appears to be the turn of the BJP which is upbeat after the exit polls predicted a victory for the saffron party.
The BJP ousted the Congress in 1990 and the Congress avenged defeat in 1993. The BJP formed the government with the help of Himachal Vikas Congress in 1998 and the Congress was back in power in 2003. The BJP made a comeback in 2007.
LIVE UPDATES
17:09 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
16:53 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
16:50 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
CM Candidate for BJP in Himachal Pradesh, PK Dhumal told media, "Personal loss is not of much importance.The gain that victory has brought to state BJP is important. Thankful to people of the state for voting for BJP. In politics, sometimes one wins, sometimes one loses. I was not expecting to lose, I will do an analysis."
16:39 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi accepted the defeat in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. He tweeted,
16:28 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
16:15 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
"This is a victory of our policies and plans, a victory of politics and performance, not casteism, dynasty and appeasement," said BJP chief Amit Shah.
16:13 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Elections
BJP - 29
Congress - 13
Others - 2
16:06 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Outgoing CM of Himachal Pradesh, Virbhadra Singh, accepted Congress' defeat in hill state.
15:51 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
According to Election Commission data, no of seats won by parties so far:
Bharatiya Janata Party: Won 11, leading in 33
Communist Party of India (Marxist): 1
Indian National Congress: Won 7, leading in 14
Others: Leading in 2
15:36 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed contributions from BJP workers for win in Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
15:23 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Himachal Elections: BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal trailing; who will be chief minister?
15:07 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
BJP Parliamentary party meeting to be held at Parliament Library building on 20 December, reports ANI. The party is likely to discuss options for the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and next course of action in Gujarat.
15:02 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Winners so far -
Hans Raj from Churah, Kishan Kapoor from Dharamshala, Narinder Bragta from Jubbal-Kotkhai, Sunder Singh Thakur from Kullu, Dr Ram Lal Markanda from Lahaul & Spiti, Suresh Bhardwaj from Shimla, Subhash Thakur from Bilaspur, Paramjeet Singh from Doon, won for BJP
Anirudh Singh from Kasumpti, Harshwardhan Chauhan from Shillai, Vinay Kumar from Sri Renukaji won for Congress
Rakesh Singha from Theog won for Communist Party of India (Marxist)
14:37 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Pawan Kumar Kajal of Congress defeated Sanjay Chaudhari of BJP in Kangra.
According to Election Commission data, no of seats won by parties so far:
Bharatiya Janata Party: Won 4, leading in 40
Communist Party of India (Marxist): 1
Indian National Congress: Won 2, leading in 18
Others: Leading in 3
13: 56 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Rakesh Singha from CPIM wins from the Theog constituency
13:38 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
In Lahaul & Spiti constituency of Himachal Pradesh, Dr Ram Lal Markanda of BJP defeated Ravi Thakur of Congress by more than 1500 votes.
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Elections
BJP - 39
Congress - 20
Others - 3
13:29 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Union Minister Smriti Irani credited BJP workers for the victory in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat Assembly elections. "It is a matter of happiness for us, this is the victory of development. It is a victory of every booth worker's hard work and the people who trusted development," she told Zee News.
"The elections in Himachal didn't even feel like a contest," Irani continued.
BJP's CM candidate in Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal is trailing in Sujanpur.
12:48 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Elections
BJP - 42
Congress - 21
Others - 2
12:44 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath took a dig at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi while congratulating BJP and BJP workers for winning elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. He said that change in Congress leadership was auspicious for Bharatiya Janata Party (sic).
12:21 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Kishori Lal of Bharatiya Janata Party defeated Paras Ram of Congress in Anni.
In Shimla, Suresh Bhardwaj of Bharatiya Janata Party beat independent candidate Harish Janartha.
12:11 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya congratulated PM Narendra Modi for victory in Gujarat. He said in Lok Sabha, "Congress has lost Himachal Pradesh, and I want to thank the Prime Minister for the unprecedented victory in Gujarat."
12:10 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Rajinder Rana of Congress is leading in Sujanpur. Prem Kumar Dhumal is once again trailing by more than 100 votes.
12:03 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Elections
BJP - 43
Congress - 20
Others - 4
11:35 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Elections
BJP - 45
Congress - 18
Others - 4
BJP's CM candidate in Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal is now leading by 500 votes
11:32 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Anirudh Singh of Congress won the Kasumpti constituency by defeating BJP's Vijay Jyoti by a margin of 9,397 votes
11:15 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Elections
BJP - 44
Congress - 19
Others - 4
11:01 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
According to Election Commission's official trend, BJP leading on 41 seats, Congress ahead on 24, Others leading on 5.
10:47 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
10:28 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Election show BJP take a comfortable lead in 40 constituencies. Despite the trends, Congress leader and son of Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya Singh said, "I am sure in the end Congress will be victorious and form Government in the state."
10:18 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
BJP's CM candidate in Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal, trailing by 1709 votes from Sujanpur
10:03 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
9:58 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
9:48 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Current trends in Himachal Pradesh Elections results show BJP leading in 40, Congress in 22, Others in 4
9:38 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya leading by 1316 votes in Shimla Rural.
9:37 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
BJP's CM candidate in Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal, trailing by 540 votes from Sujanpur.
9:30 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Election Commission's official trends for Himachal Pradesh Elections results show BJP leading on 35 seats, Congress on 16, Others 3
9:16 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Election Commission's official trends for Himachal Pradesh Elections results show BJP leading on 20 seats, Congress on 9, Others 2.
9:11 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
9:07 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
BJP state chief Satpal Singh is trailing behind Congress candidate Satpal Singh Raizada in Himachal Pradesh's Una constituency.
9:00 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
8:57 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
8:52 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
BJP - 33
Congress - 10
Others - 1
8:47 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
BJP increases lead to 26 and Congress leads in 10 constituencies.
8:44 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
8:39 IST Monday, 18 December 2017
Counting has begun for Himachal Pradesh. BJP is leading in 9 constituencies, Congress in 4.
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